Forest Action Plans: Guidelines for Forests

Biomass & Renewable Energy

The USDA Forest Service has requested proposals to substantially expand and accelerate wood energy and wood products markets throughout the United States to support forest management needs on National Forest System and other forest lands.

The grants and cooperative agreements awarded under this announcement will support the Agricultural Act of 2014, and the nationwide challenge of disposing of hazardous fuels and other wood residues from the National Forest System and other forest lands in a manner that supports wood energy and wood products markets.

AES Hawaii Power Plant, the only coal-fired plant in the state, has been asked to convert some of the energy being produced at the plant in to biomass from coal.

"Hawaiian Electric believes that AES could provide superior optionality for the Oahu power system to optimize between cost and Renewable Portfolio Standard should AES have the capability to operate on coal and biomass,” the utility said.

Today over one-third of all K-12 students in Vermont attend a wood heated school and Vermont is home to the greatest concentration of installed modern wood heating systems in North America.

The industry’s growth in Vermont is attributed to a high dependence on expensive heating oil, a wealth of forest resources, a culture of active forest management, supportive state policies, and on-going technical and support services from the Biomass Energy Resource Center (BERC) and its partners.

Malheur Lumber Co. plans to add 20 to 30 jobs to their John Day Mill, going beyond a single shift for the first time since 1998 as a result of strong collaboration efforts and the launch of the 10-year stewardship contract on the Malheur National Forest.

Wood fibers have potential to clean up oil spills thanks to a chemically modified nanocellulose sponge developed by Swiss wood researchers Empa. The material is highly absorbent, but light enough to float on the service and can be used from recycled wood materials and other cellulose-containing remains such as recycled paper, wood, and agricultural by-p

Australian scientists have engineered a new technology which converts coal or biomass into a water-based slurry called micronized refined carbon (MRC) which has the potential to slash emissions by as much as 50%. According to CSIRO Energy Group Executive Alex Wonhas, this technology is capable of halving carbon dioxide intensity as well as significantly reducing power costs.

The Willow Crop Green Energy power producing program was developed in Hughesville, PA with an $8,000 grant through the PA Energy Development Authority. The plant sources its power from shrub willow hybrids, which are converted into wood chips as biofuels. European governments have been using this alternative energy source since the ‘70’s.

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The Service Mark for the National Association of State Foresters has been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as of April 11, 2000. The Service Mark and the name ‘National Association of State Foresters’ are registered at Reg. No. 2,340,477. Reproduction or use of the NASF logo without permission is prohibited. Photographs for the site came from many different sources. This institution is an equal-opportunity employer. This website is made possible through a grant from the USDA Forest Service.